diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 9a3b442f64..c85df6145a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ DEFAULT_SOUNDS=en-us-callie-8000
 	 echo $$full_sound_dir | grep  music  >/dev/null || soundfile=`echo freeswitch-sounds-$$full_sound_dir-$$sounds_version.tar.gz`; \
          if test "$$target" = "install"; then $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) core_install; else $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) core ; fi; \
          if test "$$target_prefix" = "sounds"; then \
-	   if test "$$target" = "install"; then $(GETSOUNDS) $$soundfile $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/sounds/; else $(GETSOUNDS) $$soundfile ; fi; \
+	   if test "$$target" = "install"; then $(GETSOUNDS) $$soundfile $(DESTDIR)@soundsdir@/; else $(GETSOUNDS) $$soundfile ; fi; \
 	 else \
 	   cd src/mod && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) $@ ;\
 	 fi
diff --git a/conf/autoload_configs/conference.conf.xml b/conf/autoload_configs/conference.conf.xml
index 1f49e22696..cab0578a57 100644
--- a/conf/autoload_configs/conference.conf.xml
+++ b/conf/autoload_configs/conference.conf.xml
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
       <!-- If TTS is enabled all audio-file params beginning with -->
       <!-- 'say:' will be considered text to say with TTS -->
       <!-- Set a default path here so you can use relative paths in the other sound params-->
-      <param name="sound-prefix" value="$${base_dir}/sounds/en/us/callie"/>
+      <param name="sound-prefix" value="$${sounds_dir}/en/us/callie"/>
       <!-- File to play to acknowledge succees -->
       <!--<param name="ack-sound" value="beep.wav"/>-->
       <!-- File to play to acknowledge failure -->
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
       <param name="rate" value="16000"/>
       <param name="interval" value="20"/>
       <param name="energy-level" value="300"/>
-      <param name="sound-prefix" value="$${base_dir}/sounds/en/us/callie"/>
+      <param name="sound-prefix" value="$${sounds_dir}/en/us/callie"/>
       <param name="muted-sound" value="conference/conf-muted.wav"/>
       <param name="unmuted-sound" value="conference/conf-unmuted.wav"/>
       <param name="alone-sound" value="conference/conf-alone.wav"/>
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
       <param name="rate" value="32000"/>
       <param name="interval" value="20"/>
       <param name="energy-level" value="300"/>
-      <param name="sound-prefix" value="$${base_dir}/sounds/en/us/callie"/>
+      <param name="sound-prefix" value="$${sounds_dir}/en/us/callie"/>
       <param name="muted-sound" value="conference/conf-muted.wav"/>
       <param name="unmuted-sound" value="conference/conf-unmuted.wav"/>
       <param name="alone-sound" value="conference/conf-alone.wav"/>
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@
       <param name="rate" value="48000"/>
       <param name="interval" value="10"/>
       <param name="energy-level" value="300"/>
-      <param name="sound-prefix" value="$${base_dir}/sounds/en/us/callie"/>
+      <param name="sound-prefix" value="$${sounds_dir}/en/us/callie"/>
       <param name="muted-sound" value="conference/conf-muted.wav"/>
       <param name="unmuted-sound" value="conference/conf-unmuted.wav"/>
       <param name="alone-sound" value="conference/conf-alone.wav"/>
diff --git a/conf/autoload_configs/local_stream.conf.xml b/conf/autoload_configs/local_stream.conf.xml
index a1948483d0..94a5665392 100755
--- a/conf/autoload_configs/local_stream.conf.xml
+++ b/conf/autoload_configs/local_stream.conf.xml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <configuration name="local_stream.conf" description="stream files from local dir">
   <!-- fallback to default if requested moh class isn't found -->
-  <directory name="default" path="$${base_dir}/sounds/music/8000">
+  <directory name="default" path="$${sounds_dir}/music/8000">
     <param name="rate" value="8000"/>
     <param name="shuffle" value="true"/>
     <param name="channels" value="1"/>
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
     <!--<param name="chime-max" value="500"/>-->
   </directory>
 
-  <directory name="moh/8000" path="$${base_dir}/sounds/music/8000">
+  <directory name="moh/8000" path="$${sounds_dir}/music/8000">
     <param name="rate" value="8000"/>
     <param name="shuffle" value="true"/>
     <param name="channels" value="1"/>
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     <param name="timer-name" value="soft"/>
   </directory>
 
-  <directory name="moh/16000" path="$${base_dir}/sounds/music/16000">
+  <directory name="moh/16000" path="$${sounds_dir}/music/16000">
     <param name="rate" value="16000"/>
     <param name="shuffle" value="true"/>
     <param name="channels" value="1"/>
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
     <param name="timer-name" value="soft"/>
   </directory>
 
-  <directory name="moh/32000" path="$${base_dir}/sounds/music/32000">
+  <directory name="moh/32000" path="$${sounds_dir}/music/32000">
     <param name="rate" value="32000"/>
     <param name="shuffle" value="true"/>
     <param name="channels" value="1"/>
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     <param name="timer-name" value="soft"/>
   </directory>
   <!--
-  <directory name="moh/48000" path="$${base_dir}/sounds/music/48000">
+  <directory name="moh/48000" path="$${sounds_dir}/music/48000">
     <param name="rate" value="48000"/>
     <param name="shuffle" value="true"/>
     <param name="channels" value="1"/>
diff --git a/conf/lang/en/en.xml b/conf/lang/en/en.xml
index 1b3215f96c..6bd5a7d5fb 100644
--- a/conf/lang/en/en.xml
+++ b/conf/lang/en/en.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <include>
-  <language name="en" sound-path="$${base_dir}/sounds/en/us/callie" tts-engine="cepstral" tts-voice="callie">
+  <language name="en" sound-path="$${sounds_dir}/en/us/callie" tts-engine="cepstral" tts-voice="callie">
     <X-PRE-PROCESS cmd="include" data="demo/*.xml"/> <!-- Note: this now grabs whole subdir, previously grabbed only demo.xml -->
     <!--voicemail_en_tts is purely implemented with tts, we have the files based one that is the default. -->
     <X-PRE-PROCESS cmd="include" data="vm/sounds.xml"/>  <!-- vm/tts.xml if you want to use tts and have cepstral -->
diff --git a/conf/lang/ru/ru.xml b/conf/lang/ru/ru.xml
index df2fc7849e..25d63b6110 100644
--- a/conf/lang/ru/ru.xml
+++ b/conf/lang/ru/ru.xml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <!--тестовые файлы Вы звуковые файлы можно взять тут svn co http://svn.freeswitch.ru/bbv/mod_say_ru/ru/  -->
 <include>
-  <language name="ru" sound-path="$${base_dir}/sounds/ru/RU/elena" tts-engine="cepstral" tts-voice="elena">
+  <language name="ru" sound-path="$${sounds_dir}/ru/RU/elena" tts-engine="cepstral" tts-voice="elena">
     <X-PRE-PROCESS cmd="include" data="demo/*.xml"/> <!-- Note: this now grabs whole subdir, previously grabbed only demo.xml -->
     <!--voicemail_en_tts is purely implemented with tts, we have the files based one that is the default. -->
     <X-PRE-PROCESS cmd="include" data="vm/sounds.xml"/>  <!-- vm/tts.xml if you want to use tts and have cepstral -->
diff --git a/conf/vars.xml b/conf/vars.xml
index 3ea2c308b8..8edff03465 100644
--- a/conf/vars.xml
+++ b/conf/vars.xml
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
   <X-PRE-PROCESS cmd="set" data="default_password=1234"/>
   <!-- Did you change it yet? -->
 
-  <X-PRE-PROCESS cmd="set" data="sound_prefix=$${base_dir}/sounds/en/us/callie"/>
   <!--
       This setting is what sets the default domain FreeSWITCH will use if all else fails.
       
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 5db3b82b90..42232f4496 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ htdocsdir="${prefix}/htdocs"
 AC_SUBST(htdocsdir)
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SWITCH_HTDOCS_DIR],"${htdocsdir}",[where to put htdocs files])
 
+soundsdir="${prefix}/sounds"
+AC_SUBST(soundsdir)
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SWITCH_SOUNDS_DIR],"${soundsdir}",[where to put sounds files])
+
 grammardir="${prefix}/grammar"
 AC_SUBST(grammardir)
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SWITCH_GRAMMAR_DIR],"${grammardir}",[where to put grammar files])
diff --git a/src/include/switch_types.h b/src/include/switch_types.h
index 02bdb5abe9..fb00af9314 100644
--- a/src/include/switch_types.h
+++ b/src/include/switch_types.h
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ struct switch_directories {
 	char *grammar_dir;
 	char *storage_dir;
 	char *recordings_dir;
+	char *sounds_dir;
 };
 
 typedef struct switch_directories switch_directories;
diff --git a/src/mod/applications/mod_snapshot/mod_snapshot.c b/src/mod/applications/mod_snapshot/mod_snapshot.c
index 35917ecbfa..a73e846d0f 100644
--- a/src/mod/applications/mod_snapshot/mod_snapshot.c
+++ b/src/mod/applications/mod_snapshot/mod_snapshot.c
@@ -159,8 +159,8 @@ static switch_status_t do_snap(switch_core_session_t *session)
 		switch_time_exp_lt(&tm, switch_time_make(switch_epoch_time_now(NULL), 0));
 		switch_strftime(date, &retsize, sizeof(date), "%Y_%m_%d_%H_%M_%S", &tm);
 			
-		file = switch_core_session_sprintf(session, "%s%ssounds%s%s_%s.wav", SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.base_dir, 
-										   SWITCH_PATH_SEPARATOR, SWITCH_PATH_SEPARATOR, cb->base, date);
+		file = switch_core_session_sprintf(session, "%s%s%s_%s.wav", SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir, 
+										   SWITCH_PATH_SEPARATOR, cb->base, date);
 
 		switch_core_session_get_read_impl(session, &read_impl);
 		fh.channels = 0;
diff --git a/src/switch_core.c b/src/switch_core.c
index 30dc569209..bbf016feee 100644
--- a/src/switch_core.c
+++ b/src/switch_core.c
@@ -466,6 +466,14 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(void) switch_core_set_globals(void)
 #endif
 	}
 
+	if (!SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir && (SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir = (char *) malloc(BUFSIZE))) {
+#ifdef SWITCH_SOUNDS_DIR
+		switch_snprintf(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir, BUFSIZE, "%s", SWITCH_SOUNDS_DIR);
+#else
+		switch_snprintf(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir, BUFSIZE, "%s%ssounds", base_dir, SWITCH_PATH_SEPARATOR);
+#endif
+	}
+
 	if (!SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.storage_dir && (SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.storage_dir = (char *) malloc(BUFSIZE))) {
 #ifdef SWITCH_STORAGE_DIR
 		switch_snprintf(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.storage_dir, BUFSIZE, "%s", SWITCH_STORAGE_DIR);
@@ -529,6 +537,7 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(void) switch_core_set_globals(void)
 	switch_assert(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.htdocs_dir);
 	switch_assert(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.grammar_dir);
 	switch_assert(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.recordings_dir);
+	switch_assert(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir);
 	switch_assert(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.temp_dir);
 }
 
@@ -1178,7 +1187,6 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_core_init(switch_core_flag_t flags, switc
 {
 	switch_uuid_t uuid;
 	char guess_ip[256];
-	char *dir_path;
 	int mask = 0;
 	struct in_addr in;
 	char hostname[256] = "";
@@ -1215,10 +1223,6 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_core_init(switch_core_flag_t flags, switc
 	}
 	switch_assert(runtime.memory_pool != NULL);
 
-	
-	dir_path = switch_mprintf("%s%ssounds", SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.base_dir, SWITCH_PATH_SEPARATOR);
-	switch_dir_make_recursive(dir_path, SWITCH_DEFAULT_DIR_PERMS, runtime.memory_pool);
-	switch_safe_free(dir_path);
 	switch_dir_make_recursive(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.base_dir, SWITCH_DEFAULT_DIR_PERMS, runtime.memory_pool);
 	switch_dir_make_recursive(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.mod_dir, SWITCH_DEFAULT_DIR_PERMS, runtime.memory_pool);
 	switch_dir_make_recursive(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.conf_dir, SWITCH_DEFAULT_DIR_PERMS, runtime.memory_pool);
@@ -1229,6 +1233,7 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_core_init(switch_core_flag_t flags, switc
 	switch_dir_make_recursive(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.htdocs_dir, SWITCH_DEFAULT_DIR_PERMS, runtime.memory_pool);
 	switch_dir_make_recursive(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.grammar_dir, SWITCH_DEFAULT_DIR_PERMS, runtime.memory_pool);
 	switch_dir_make_recursive(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.recordings_dir, SWITCH_DEFAULT_DIR_PERMS, runtime.memory_pool);
+	switch_dir_make_recursive(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir, SWITCH_DEFAULT_DIR_PERMS, runtime.memory_pool);
 	switch_dir_make_recursive(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.temp_dir, SWITCH_DEFAULT_DIR_PERMS, runtime.memory_pool);
 
 	switch_mutex_init(&runtime.uuid_mutex, SWITCH_MUTEX_NESTED, runtime.memory_pool);
@@ -1264,6 +1269,8 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_core_init(switch_core_flag_t flags, switc
 	switch_core_set_variable("local_ip_v6", guess_ip);
 	switch_core_set_variable("base_dir", SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.base_dir);
 	switch_core_set_variable("recordings_dir", SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.recordings_dir);
+	switch_core_set_variable("sound_prefix", SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir);
+	switch_core_set_variable("sounds_dir", SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir);
 	switch_core_set_serial();
 
 	switch_console_init(runtime.memory_pool);
@@ -1803,6 +1810,7 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_core_destroy(void)
 	switch_safe_free(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.htdocs_dir);
 	switch_safe_free(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.grammar_dir);
 	switch_safe_free(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.recordings_dir);
+	switch_safe_free(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.sounds_dir);
 	switch_safe_free(SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.temp_dir);
 
 	switch_core_hash_destroy(&runtime.global_vars);
diff --git a/src/switch_ivr.c b/src/switch_ivr.c
index a4a1ee6535..da64244646 100644
--- a/src/switch_ivr.c
+++ b/src/switch_ivr.c
@@ -2136,12 +2136,6 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_ivr_say(switch_core_session_t *session, c
 
 	if (sound_path) {
 		switch_channel_set_variable(channel, "sound_prefix", sound_path);
-	} else {
-		switch_channel_set_variable_printf(channel, "sound_prefix", "%s%ssounds%s%s", 
-										   SWITCH_GLOBAL_dirs.base_dir,
-										   SWITCH_PATH_SEPARATOR,
-										   SWITCH_PATH_SEPARATOR,
-										   chan_lang);
 	}
 
 	if ((si = switch_loadable_module_get_say_interface(module_name))) {